Picture yourself running down an alley, with plenty of obstacles, and a raging bull right on your heels. Now that's not a position you'd like to be in, but it actually makes for a pretty fun game concept. Bull Running takes this concept and blend it with running the bulls tradition of Spain, the result is a hectic yet fun game in which you'll be dodging obstacles and grabbin' sodas.

Gameplay

In Bull Running by Twins Games you play as a cheerful little fellow who must put as much distance between him and the mad bull behind him. Sounds easy enough, right? But various obstacles are placed in his path and it's your job to help him get past them and avoid getting stomped. You will run through streets littered with little dogs, fruit stalls with benches, and more. It?s fun to see what?s coming up next as you rush through these scenes while large bulls are breathing on your neck. Fun!

Bull Running is a vertical endless runner of sorts, and controls are as simple as tilting your device left and right to avoid obstacles and tapping the screen to jump over dogs, fences, manholes and such in your path. While the controls work fine, jumping control takes a little bit getting used to. It felt rather stickier and somewhat delayed than it should. You might trip over obstacles a lot until you get the timing right.

Along with obstacles in your path are various power-ups as well. These include a scooter that allows you to ride along faster, and numerous sodas and when you collect 100 of them, your character becomes invincible, plowing through the obstacles in your path.

All this makes for a nice game for when you have some time to spare, as the gameplay is set up for pick up and play genre for the casual gamers. The control is the only thing that stands in a way of making this game super fun and extremely addictive. We hope that future updates will make it smoother.

Graphics & Sound

Bull Running has great looking graphics that have a cute cartoonish look and feel. The bull, the little boy and even the surroundings are bright, colorful and lovable. Background scenes change as you run through the streets, items are well placed for your to avoid or grab.

Though simple, the audio works well with the game: good sound effects and good soundtrack which helps enhance the Spanish-inspired gameplay. iPod music is also supported.

Conclusion

There are a ton of pick-up-and-play games on the App Store that are great when you have a minute to spare, and while some aren't quite good enough to last very long, but Bull Running, while not flawless, is perfect for when you have a minute to spare. And I'm sure with upcoming updates the small flaws will be fixed.

Ratings (scale of 1 to 5):

Graphics: - 4 - Cute cartoonish graphics look great and fit the theme of the game very well.Sound: - 4 - Simple yet well-put together music and sounds. Supports iPod music.Controls: - 3.5 - Running control is easy and smooth, but jumping control is a bit sticky with a slight delay.Gameplay: - 4 - Unique game concept, fun pick up and play gameplay. Only the jumping control makes this game less then perfect.

Playing Hints and Tips:

- Collect as many sodas as you can.

- Avoid manholes as much as you can, as those end the game immediately.